1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of adjustable clamps for supporting elongate articles such as a bundle of wires or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various prior art adjustable clamps designed to accommodate elongate articles such as wire bundles as a harnessing aid or the like generally include an elongate strap portion in which the free end or tail portion thereof generally overlies the base portion of the clamp and is fastened thereto by means of a threaded fastener or the like to restrict movement of the wires or other tubular elements held within the looped portion of the strap. A disadvantage of such arrangement is the limited range of opening available in any given clamp size. A device designed to provide somewhat greater adjustment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,005 issued to I. D. Wallach on Feb. 9, 1965. This device incorporates a free loop portion which is preformed to accommodate a bundle of wires or the like but which, however, fails to provide secure retention of the bundle due to the absence of any provision for securing the looped portion of the clamp to the base portion thereof. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,321, issued to R. D. Kahabka on Nov. 24, 1970, there is disclosed an adjustable tie having a flexible strap portion insertable within a relatively short, slotted bridge overhanging a central opening in the mounting member, the interior of the bridge being provided with a ratchet pawl having a lever arm extending therefrom for engagement with a series of teeth disposed along the length of the strap. The excess strap portion extending beyond the pawl is thus required to be severed from the remainder of the strap to avoid interference with adjacent components, thereby seriously limiting the effectiveness of the clamp in many applications where reuse is necessary or desirable. Furthermore, the release lever attached to the mounting member of the tie is located in a relatively exposed area and may be disadvantageously inadvertently contacted to cause premature release of the article intended to be restrained within the looped portion of the strap.